WDL Classics New York 2010: Tamgho flirts with 18 metres

Live from the archive every single Sunday on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel, the WDL Classics series revisits historical Diamond League meetings with a re-live stream of the full two-hour TV broadcast. This week: a French record, world leads on the track and a first win for a Diamond League legend in the making. 

When French rising star Teddy Tamgho hit the runway in New York back in 2010, he was a man on a mission. The then 21-year-old was in the form of his young career, and was aiming to become only the third man in history to clear the 18-metre mark in the men’s triple jump.

As it turned out, Tamgho would have to wait a little while longer to finally clear the milestone mark, but his performance in New York was the clearest sign yet that he had what it took to join Jonathan Edwards and Kenny Harrison in the list of all-time triple jump greats. The Frenchman fell just two centimetres short with 17.98m, but still notched up a new national record, a world lead and a crucial first win en route to the Diamond League title. 

Tamgho’s was one of several world leads broken as the Diamond League made its US debut in New York, with Lolo Jones running 12:55 in the women’s 100m hurdles and Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown clocking 21.98 in the women’s 200m. 

There was also a first ever Diamond League win for a young Croatian named Sandra Perkovic, at the time still a rising star in the women’s discus. 

Perkovic’s winning throw of 61.96m would prove to be the start of a long love affair between her and the Diamond League, as she went on to become the most successful female athlete in the series’ history with six Diamond Trophies and 46 individual victories to her name as of 2025. 

You can rewatch the 2010 New York meeting in full on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel from 15:00 GMT this Sunday. 

Watch WDL Classics from 15:00 GMT on Sunday: New York 2010